Forbidden unto you are your mothers and your daughters and your sisters and your father's sisters and your mother's sisters and your brother's daughters and your sister's daughters and your foster mothers and your foster sisters and the mothers of your wives and your step-daughters that are in your wards born of your wives unto whom ye have gone in, but if ye have not gone in unto them no sin shall be on you, and the wives of your sons that are from your own loins and also that ye should have two sisters together, except that which hath already passed; verily Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. 23 ۞ Also (prohibited are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess: Thus hath Allah ordained (Prohibitions) against you: Except for these, all others are lawful, provided ye seek (them in marriage) with gifts from your property,- desiring chastity, not lust, seeing that ye derive benefit from them, give them their dowers (at least) as prescribed; but if, after a dower is prescribed, agree Mutually (to vary it), there is no blame on you, and Allah is All-knowing, All-wise. 24 If one of you cannot afford to marry a believing gentlewoman (let him marry) a maid who is a believer. God is aware of your faith: The one of you is of the other; so marry them with the consent of their people, and give them an appropriate dowry. They are women (seeking) wedlock, and not lechery, nor secretly looking for paramours. But if they are married and guilty of adultery, inflict on them half the punishment (enjoined) for gentlewomen. This is for those who are afraid of doing wrong. In case they can wait, it is better for them. God is forgiving and kind. 25